Happy Hour

 

We had our first intern get-together yesterday, and I was terribly excited and nervous to meet everyone. As a second year veteran, I wanted to correct some of the mistakes that I’d made during my first summer. For instance, this summer, I knew that I had to room with my fellow interns if possible. Living alone and apart from everyone may sound more comfortable, but it’s the daily interactions and united experiences that really build close friends.

Also, I learned to go to as many events as I can stand. I roll my eyes every time someone tells me that networking is the most important thing in the world----but it’s kind of true. I’ve heard that up to 50% of jobs are never posted---people just recommend who they know. So my aim is to be the person that they know, and the best person that comes to mind when they need something. The same goes in reverse: if you ever need a job done, or someone who has a certain skill, your network can be invaluable in finding connections.

So, what did I end up wearing today? My goat was to put on something memorable, something chic, and something that was also appropriate for the office.

 

{Outfit Details: Dress: Tahari (old), another great print here // Blazer: Calvin Klein // Heels: Liz Claiborne // Bracelet: Forever21, similar here  // Necklace: Forever21, beautiful yellow and gray necklace here }

 



A knee-length dress with a cool print is a great conversation starter, both in the office and at happy hour. This dress strikes the perfect yin-yang balance: it's a demure length, yet packed with trendy, bold florals. Pull on a blazer for an appropriate coverup while at work, and add some statement jewelry for the bar.

Lace Skirt for Work

After a few days at the office, I think I've gotten the dress code down. Shoulders should be covered up, and appropriate-length hemlines are a must, but there is no need for heels or conservative suits. That means that this week, I can experiment a little more with the clothes that I brought and create more trendy and bold outfits.

{Outfit Details: Cardigan: Hollister (old), similar sweater here (it's cashmere for only $49.99!) // Blouse: Forever21 (old), similar striped blouse here // Skirt: Forever21 // Shoes: Talbots (old), similar color here }

For a dress code that leans heavily on the casual side of business casual, a lace skirt + striped blouse is a cool pattern mix that any cubicle worker can pull off professionally. Top off your neutral blouse and skirt with a bright, long cardigan: not only will the length hide the tucking at the waist and streamline your figure, but the color will pull everything together. Any pair of nude shoes will match your feminine look, but extra credit goes to these pumps for being a pretty shade of blush pink.

Edit: The link to the skirt wasn't working earlier, but I've fixed it!

Colorblocked for Work

In my "What to Pack for an Internship" video, I said that dresses were a godsend because you could use them for lazy days. Well, it's only the second day of my internship, and I'm already so rushed in the mornings that I can't help but pull on a dress that's easy to zip up. Is that a bad sign?

I had to get up for my flight to D.C. at 5am, and immediately go to work the day after. It's been a stressful first few days, but I'm hoping to get some sightseeing done this weekend.

For those of you also interning, I can't recommend sheath dresses enough. This colorblocked one has neon green panels on the sides for a quick slimming effect. However, a word of caution: when you are wearing a trendy or colorful dress in a more conservative work environment, make sure your dress is close to knee-length and that you have a cardigan on hand to cover up in case your boss calls for you.

If you have any internship-related questions, shoot them my way! This is my second year in D.C. and I'd love to help out any other college girls.

{Outfit Details: Colorblocked sheath dress: Ross (old). Similar black and white version here, and peplum version here // Leather black pumps: Liz Claiborne }

My Fantasy Clothing Brand: Summer 2013 Ad

Remember when I created my own fantasy clothing line "Phoenix"? (It's really just stuff that I already own, styled as though it came from one boho-cowboy-ethnic-fantasy universe.) Although I have no plans of introducing my own clothing brand (yet), the challenge of transferring my artistic intentions to fashion is a challenge that I've decided to take up again.

I know that I spend most of this blog posting my daily outfits, but it's really important to me that I also use this chance to practice my photography and become a better artist. Not only do I want to make eye-catching fashion ensembles, but I also want to mesh clothing into a broader frame of traditional art, which is why I incorporate fashion + sculpture and practice styling a model for a fashion editorial. Forcing myself to create fake ads probably sounds really weird, but I'm using it as a way to hone my creative eye and improve my manipulation of backgrounds, lighting, and objects.

Unfortunately, I only had time to create one image this week. This ad above is inspired equally by bright, ethnic clothing and The Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth. Despite the lack of a full lookbook, I hope that this image whetted your appetite, because I plan on creating a more extensive ad campaign for fall. 

If you ever want to check out my artsy-fartsy posts, just click my "Photo Shoots" tab on the top navigation bar.

...Always A Texan

We had already arrived at this glorious building, ready to take some Texas-themed pics, when my sister said, "Brittney, you're not even wearing cowboy boots!" She was right, I realized, but I managed to throw out some fashion blogger BS as I retorted, "Well, I'm really going for more of a girly/edgy look with combat boots." Considering that there is a store selling cowboy boots in every town, I'll be sure to show off my pair next time.

Why have I been having so many Texas posts anyway? It's because my internship starts next week and I'll be skedaddling away to D.C./Virginia after this weekend, and I wanna celebrate my last days home. For those of you who liked my video on "What to Pack for a Summer Internship", you'll love my blog content for the next few months, as I show you how to wear and put together everything in that video. 

{Outfit Details: Shirt: Ross (old), similar studded shirt here, on sale for less than $20 // Skirt: Hollister (old), similar here // Bag: Dooney & Bourke (vintage), same brand here // Watch: Nine West // Combat boots: Urban Outfitters // Aviators: Ray-Ban, on sale! }

See you soon!